Blog

I arrived in Guatemala 6 weeks ago and like many things in life, the time flew by!! I've said it before and I'll say it again...I honestly feel like I just stepped off the plane yesterday (with my kind Texan friends that I had just met, by my side). To tell the truth, thanks to the latest news headlines I was unbelievably nervous about traveling in Guatemala. Leaving my husband and the comforts of the US was going to be a challenge, I thought. But the minute I stepped outside my host family's house that first day those feelings of worry vanished and I realized Antigua is just like any other city in the world. There are friendly tourists, food vendors selling food and hand made clothing, colorful buildings, kids gossiping as they walked to school, and locals to greet you with a pleasant 'buenos dias.'  Sure, the noisy and unpleasant-looking chicken buses and the armed guards with gigantic guns were a bit of an eyesore at first but I admit, they kind of grew on me (well, maybe not the chicken buses...). My point is, I had a few terrifying internal moments before I left the US (thank God, I didn't share these with my mom). At one point, I actually thought to myself 'is it too dangerous for me to travel to Guatemala?'  I now can honestly say no, it's not too dangerous...it's a fantastic country to explore! Fearing the unknown is normal. But not pursuing it is worse.

Hola mis amigos!

I'm now approaching the end of week two in Antigua and I feel so lucky to be having a successful trip thus far. On my birthday weekend Kate, Nath, Elizabeth and I made a trip to El Lago de Atitlan, a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains and volcanoes in the highlands of Guatemala. I can also report that classes have been quite trying this week and with that, comes many emotions (you don't want to miss this). But more on that later!

Well, I made it! Whew! After meeting the kindest group of Texans before getting on the airplane in Dallas (who also thought my driver to Antigua wasn't going to show up) my nerves began to subside. They were on a mission trip with their church and had been visiting Guatemala for the past 7 years. They assured me I was going to LOVE it and that if my driver didn't show up I could catch a ride with them. But my trusty Guatemalan drivers did not let me down and as I proceeded out of customs at 11pm I saw my name (well, close enough, spelled 'Linday Killer') being held by a perky young gentlemen. I fell in love with these two brothers who recently opened up an airport taxi company (they also do tours to the volcanoes on the side). They were the perfect welcoming committee as they told me about their beautiful country in humorous fashion, bantering back and forth.

Welcome back!!!!

I write to you from the comforts of our new home in Durango, Colorado where we are all settled in, exploring the local hikes and making new friends. It already feels like we belong here as it is very similar to Queenstown, New Zealand where we were able to live for 7 months this past year. Lots of friendly locals, nearby mountains to explore, and strong community pride. I can't wait to really get settled in but to be brutally honest, I definitely caught the travel bug at some point and am itching for one additional trip (I swear this is the last one for awhile!!). This time, to live with a host family in Antigua, Guatemala for 6 weeks while taking daily Spanish lessons! Whew...I'm going to be exhausted!